Monthly Archives: January 2011

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[Editor’s Note: information was just received from Ancestry.com announcing the new Ancestry iPad App.]

Ancestry.com’s New iPad App Lets Consumers Update and Share Family Trees, Old Photos and Records in Stunning Detail

Ancestry.com App Exploits iPad Form Factor and Features to Create a Deeper, Brighter, Smarter User Experience

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource, today announced the availability of its new iPad app called Ancestry.

Built specifically to deliver a compelling tablet experience, the new Ancestry app brings to life on iPad’s large screen multi-generational family trees complete with images of original family records and photos, making iPad a powerful tool for users to display and share their trees with family and friends in an interactive, highly visual way.

A dynamic, intuitive user interface and integration with Ancestry.com makes it simple for users to record memories, edit vital information, document life events and organize photos, and also for use in conducting field research, collection, and documentation.

Introducing Ancestry.com onto this compelling platform takes the website one step closer to its mission of helping everyone discover, preserve and share their family history.

“Since I already use my iPhone to document my life, it’s natural to use it to document my family tree,” said Ancestry.com user Aaron Vaughn of San Francisco. “Being able to research and upload photos and information on-the-fly makes updating my Ancestry.com account a seamless part of my life. Now, with the new iPad app, I’ve got all the added benefits the larger format affords.”

Eric Shoup, Senior Vice President of Product for Ancestry.com, comments: “The new Ancestry iPad app makes it fun and easy to explore and share your family history research by allowing you and your family to tap and swipe your way through your family tree, old photos and records.

“Ancestry.com is committed to leveraging the latest technology to make what we offer on our website easily accessible, simple and enjoyable to use for family history novices and experts alike, at their desks or in the field.”

The Ancestry.com app for iPad is now available for free at the iTunes App Store. A new version of the popular Ancestry.com iPhone app, which includes more features for navigating a family tree and viewing records already attached to a tree, is also available for free in the App Store.

To get started, just download the apps to your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch(i), log in to your Ancestry.com account and choose a family tree.

About Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq:ACOM – News) is the world’s largest online family history resource, with nearly 1.4 million paying subscribers. More than 6 billion records have been added to the site in the past 14 years. Ancestry users have created more than 20 million family trees containing over 2 billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries that help people discover, preserve and share their family history, including its flagship Web site at www.ancestry.com.

We expect at least 30 genealogy bloggers to be in attendance at at next week’s RootsTech conference starting Wednesday, February 10, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This includes the RootsTech Community Bloggers as well as other bloggers attending the event.

Below is a list of bloggers who have indicated they will be attending. Stay tuned here at GeneaBloggers where we’ll be listing the latest RootsTech news and posts (and tweets with the #rootstech hash tag). Note: if you are a member of GeneaBloggers and your name does not appear below but you will be at RootsTech please let us know! GeneaBloggers has a special gift for you!

Disclosure: I have been designated as a RootsTech Official Blogger which entitles me to certain perks including free registration and more. Please see Disclosure Statements for more information on my material connection with RootsTech, FamilySearch and other genealogy vendors.

I have the great pleasure of introducing you to Carolyn Calton Murphy of the Family Tree Gal blog. Carolyn’s Internet persona is “Family Tree Gal” and her motto is “In every home, frame a family tree to strengthen your posterity.”

Carolyn strongly believes that, “it is important to REMEMBER—to remember those who have gone before, so that we can glean wisdom from the past (rather than stay stuck in it).” She also feels it’s very important to remember that our own place in the family line can powerfully and positively influence the future of many lives.

Carolyn is also the website owner of the Family Tree Quest blog described as, “… I am committed to acknowledging connections throughout the generations — past, present, and future – and igniting a sense of extraordinary family purpose in individuals in THIS generation. I am passionate about helping people discover ‘roots’ as well as strengthen the ‘branches’ of their family line.”

Carolyn encourages others to join the quest at Family Tree Quest and become “Generational Change-makers.” On her own blog, Carolyn uses (and offers to others for their use) daily blogging themes, which helps herself and others, keep in focus the fact that, “as we strengthen ourselves, we strengthen our entire family tree through the power of positive influence.” Carolyn appreciates GeneaBloggers for featuring her Thankful Thursday theme at this time.

How Carolyn Got Started with Genealogy

Carolyn grew up in Long Beach, California and when she was about 12 years old, her parents would talk about family history. Carolyn began to see pedigree charts and family group sheets. She was intrigued and wanted to know who the real people behind the names on the page were. This led Carolyn to ask questions and finding out a little more about her family.

Carolyn was very fortunate to have family members who had already done quite a bit of research; so thankfully, many records came her way through inheritance. Carolyn is very happy to discover dates and places, but her great love is to find actual stories of their lives, and to really see how their influence has affected her. In Carolyn’s own words, “I encourage others to preserve their personal and family history stories – both in verbal and written records.”

Carolyn’s Blog and Her Family

Carolyn’s followers include both her family and friends, and she appreciates them so much. Family and friends benefit so much just from the content posted to her blog, that Carolyn does not need to fill them verbally as much.

How Carolyn Follows the Rest of Us

Carolyn uses Google Reader to follow many genealogy bloggers. She also has an application on her LinkedIn page that she uses the most. She prefers these two methods to receiving updates via her email.

Carolyn’s Thoughts On Blogging

When Carolyn began her blog, she had no idea what to do so she just jumped in with both feet and figured she would learn whatever she needed to know. When she discovered GeneaBloggers, she was grateful and didn’t feel alone in her attempts to connect with others and make a difference.

Carolyn created her genealogy blog to be of assistance to others as a source of encouragement in achieving personal and family history goals. She also had a great desire to build a sense of community with others who wanted to strengthen lives in “this” generation.

Carolyn’s blog name came from being a calligrapher for over 20 years. Much of her time was spent penning family names on amazing family tree charts, which were suitable for framing. This was Carolyn’s work until her ability to write in calligraphy was compromised due to the lingering physical effects of several car accidents. Since then, she holds a strong conviction that framing a family tree for display in one’s home strengthens our ability to “remember.” Choosing the name “Family Tree Gal” seemed perfect. Carolyn feels, “if people don’t think of my real name, perhaps they’ll remember “Family Tree Gal” and know what I stand for.

In Carolyn’s own words, “thank you to all the great genea-bloggers who have paved the way for me to learn and grow, and to Thomas MacEntee, who founded such a great information resource—bringing together a community of amazing like-minded people.”

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Please take a moment and head on over to Carolyn’s blogs, leave her a message to let her know you stopped by. Welcome Carolyn…it’s great to have you here!

Gini Webb lives in San Diego, California and manages her own blog, Ginisology, while also researching her own German heritage, recently retired, enjoying life with wonderful husband Steve and visiting with her now seven grandchildren!

Are you a genealogy blogger who would like to be interviewed for the “May I Introduce To You . . .” series? If so, contact Gini Webb via e-mail.